How quickly things change in and around the Toronto Maple Leafs surprises me sometimes. I thought I was used to it, the high’s and low’s of being a fan of this team and how they can swing from one extreme to the next in a matter of hours or days, I mean. Maybe I’m the one that’s mellowed out, or become more locked into my opinion’s once they’re formed and I’m sure that they’re right.
Or maybe Ridly Greig and Bobby McMann have simply changed everything in some people’s eyes, I don’t know.
Just a couple of short weeks ago it appeared that the consensus from Leafs Nation was that this isn’t their year. With a lack of scoring depth, a spotty group of defenders and goaltending that isn’t up to snuff, some were even suggesting that the Leafs should sell at the deadline in preparation for next season.
I wasn’t against that myself.
The group was always going to make the playoffs this year, so selling players such as T.J. Brodie didn’t make much sense to me, but cashing in on Martin Jones or any other player that wasn’t set to play a significant role down the stretch wouldn’t hurt. A couple of extra 5th round picks would see the Leafs taking half the players from that round this year as well. Even with their Stormtrooper accuracy at the draft table they’d have to hit on somebody, right?
All of that was up until Morgan Rielly crosschecked Ridly Greig in the face in response to “the clapper” and the team responded.
Now, 4 games into Rielly’s subsequent 5 game suspension, the Leafs haven’t lost a game and are looking like a different team. They’re playing with determination and grit, while getting a solid defensive effort each night and adequate goaltending. They’re getting more offense from the bottom of the lineup, but that is largely in part to the efforts of one Bobby McMann. With a hat-trick against St. Louis, 2 goals and a helper versus the Anaheim Ducks and finally another goal against the Blues, McMann has produced 6 goals and 7pts over his past 4 games. His size, physical play and shot have turned the 3rd line into a scoring unit, simply leaving the question of how long it can last.
It’s not as if McMann has never produced offense before. The late bloomer scored 21 goals and 29pts in 30 games last season with the Toronto Marlies and while half of it has been tallied over the past 4 games, he now has 8 goals and 14pts in 30 games with the big club this season. If he can continue to use his size well along the boards and the tough parts of the ice, while producing 30+ points a year, he’d be a welcome addition to the teams bottom 6 for the foreseeable future. Who knows, maybe there’s even more than that to get from him, but expectations shouldn’t get out of hand here. He’ll be 28 years old before the pending UFA can hit the market this summer and if I were a betting man he’ll be penciled into the starting roster when the puck drops on the 2024/25 season.
So, while we shouldn’t expect McMann to produce at a point-per-game pace forever and we should expect the team to settle back into their relaxed “go about your business” style of play once Morgan Rielly returns, the expectations for the deadline should also slide back to somewhere between sell and swinging for the fences soon enough.
The simple fact of the matter is that the team still isn’t good enough to compete for the Stanley Cup. Not with their goaltending and not with their lack of penalty killing and defensive awareness. Even if the bottom 6 continues to score, things still tighten up in the playoffs and the team hasn’t shown an ability to commit to defense. So, what should they do?
Some rumours are circulating about the Leafs and Calgary’s Chris Tanev. The theory is that the Leafs are offering something along the lines of what the Flames got for Nikita Zadorov, which was a 3rd and 5th round pick, while the Flames are waiting for somebody to offer a 1st round selection. It’s my opinion that spending a 1st round pick on Tanev would be a mistake and considering the Leafs don’t have a 2nd round pick until 2053 (thanks Dubas), they will have to continue to hold out and hope that Calgary eventually cracks.
A move like this is about the most I would want to see the Leafs do this year. While Tanev is past his prime, it’s possible that he would extend in Toronto, which would make him more than a rental. The price would be cheap enough and he can play top 4 minutes. While I do believe the Leafs will eventually be outbid, it’s Tanev’s M-NTC that you have to hope will go in the Leafs’ favour. If he can block just enough trades then maybe the Flames will be forced to take what Brad Treliving has on the table.
As for the actual game day primer…… I think I’ll pass. The lineup, the starting goalie, all that nonsense means nothing. The Coyotes are a bad team that’s playing in a college arena and they should be relocated immediately. For these reasons the Leafs will probably lose tonight. So have fun watching that if you’re going to stay up late for it. I will wish Matthew Knies good luck though.